Duncan announces ambitious federal plan to boost teacher preparation
The Obama administration thinks states aren’t being aggressive enough in tracking how teachers are prepared and making education schools accountable for results. Education Secretary Arne Duncan laid out an ambitious three-part plan this morning that the administration hopes will radically change how states measure the effectiveness of their teacher preparation programs, provide additional scholarship money […]
Federal government to grant money to successful charters
In a vote of confidence for charter schools it deems “high quality,” the U.S. Department of Education announced grants totaling $25 million to charter school networks they believe have proved successful at raising student achievement. “Several high-quality charter schools across the country are making an amazing difference in our children’s lives, especially when charters in […]
Ravitch and Canada face off at Education Nation
The third day of Education Nation kicked off with a lively debate between charter school manager and educator Geoffrey Canada and education historian Diane Ravitch. Canada applauded the success of the charter schools in Harlem and elsewhere, with Ravitch countering that his schools and other charters had far more resources at their disposal than the […]
Governors take stage at Education Nation
After lunch, a panel of 10 state governors sat down with Brian Williams to discuss the state of education in America. They spoke and took questions about a wide range of topics: from how to evaluate teachers to the the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers that were announced by President Obama last Friday, to […]
NBC’s Education Nation focuses on teachers and early childhood Monday morning
NBC’s big special on education — called Education Nation — is under way today. This morning the panels and speakers focused on teachers and early childhood learning and the development of a child’s brain. Philanthropists Warren Buffett, Melinda Gates, and early education advocate Suzie Buffett talked with Tom Brokaw and focused largely around teacher quality […]
President Obama announces waiver plan for NCLB
President Barack Obama announced sweeping changes today that will allow states to apply for waivers from current requirements under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. As the deadline approaches for all students to be proficient in reading and math — by the year 2014 — the waivers will give states more control over how […]
Education in spotlight, briefly, at last night’s GOP debate
Last night’s debate among the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination marked the first time all were asked to comment on education. They had 30 seconds to respond to a question by teacher Stella Lohmann about what they’d do with the “massive overreach of big government into the classroom.” Predictably, answers dealt with scaling […]
Survey: Colleges looking for students who can pay, some willing to lower standards
With the economy still sagging, many colleges and universities are focusing on students who can afford to pay more of the costs of attending, according to a survey by Inside Higher Ed. The survey, which was released Wednesday morning, included responses from more than 450 admissions officials at colleges and universities. One of the key […]
Finalist from last year wins the 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education
Calling the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools “a model for innovation in urban education,” U.S. Secretary of Arne Duncan announced the North Carolina district today as the 2011 winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Duncan highlighted Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s success in narrowing achievement gaps faster than any other district in North Carolina, and noted that it has begun sending the […]
Federal government launches ‘Digital Promise’ to foster new educational technologies
Do U.S. schools need an infusion of digital technology to transform teaching and learning? A new nonprofit center known as “Digital Promise” thinks so, and it will help fund the development of new technology like learning software and educational games in schools across the country. The center, created by Congress and launched on Friday, hopes […]
